Lose Body Fat

Written by Rylee Newton

One of the best ways to tell if you've actually lost weight, and not just water weight, is to take your body measurements. Body measurements are usually reflected in a change in size, as well as a change in your overall body displacement in water. You don't even have to perform highly specific measurements to get an idea of the kind of improvements you've made when you use a standard tape measure.

If you really want to lose body fat, you need to reduce you fat intake. This almost sounds too simple to believe, but it really is true. If you want to lose weight and gain muscle tone, you need to lose body fat. The best diet for you is not always the best diet for someone else. How else can you explain the massive amount of diet and self help books on the market today?

Creating a Fat Burning Machine

If you want to reduce body fat, you need to find a program that works for you. I know for me, the best diet seems to be one where I limit the amount of carbohydrates and fats that I consume. For other people, diets that focus on caloric intake, like Weight Watchers, are the secret. No matter what works best for you, the end result is always the same. You have to monitor what you eat, and work out at least three times a week if you want to lose weight.

One of the reasons that the Atkins diet is so popular these days is that it focuses on reducing overall body fat. When your body goes into a state of ketosis you burn excess fat at the highest possible rate. If you eat somewhere between 50 and 75 grams of carbohydrates per day you can achieve a state of ketosis. When you reach this state you burn stored fat instead of sugars and other less dense caloric sources.